Millefeuille Pastry / Talas Boregi is also one of the common classics cooked in Turkish kitchens. I cook it when I have guests, as a side dish or when I am in a mood to prepare something different. My son likes it the most. It is nothing too fancy, quite straightforward to prepare and difficult to make a mistake.
Traditionally it is prepared with lamb chunks. However, some people cannot tolerate the smell of lamb so it is completely fine to prepare with beef and even chicken or turkey. I have read recipes where they even prepare it with ground meat or meatballs. I generally cook the traditional way and maybe play around with spices and a few ingredients, but not the basic ones. Keep in mind that adding a bay leave or two while cooking will help to eliminate the smell of lamb.
Start with taking the millefeuille sheets out of the freezer, set aside so they get soft enough to work with. Meanwhile, put the meat without adding anything else into your cooking pot. Cover with a lid. I prefer to use a pressure cooker. Cook the meat until it first leaves and then absorbs its water. Later add chopped onions, then chopped garlic, then cubed carrots and finally peas. You can use frozen peas, but not canned ones, as they are too soft already. Sprinkle salt, black pepper, some red pepper flakes, thyme and perhaps some chopped dill or parsley. While the filling is being cooked, make the millefeuille sheets larger using a rolling bin. First sprinkle your working space and top of your millefeuille sheet with some flour. Make them bigger – somewhat double their original size.
Then place a tablespoon of the filling and pack it up like an envelope.
Turn upside down and place each one on the oven tray. Spread egg yolk on each one with an egg brush. Finally, sprinkle some nigella seeds. Some also add sesame seeds, however, I suggest not to, as millefeuille pastry is oily enough, no need to increase the calories. Cook until brownish on top and bottom.
This recipe requires chopped carrots and peas. You might be tempted to use ready garniture mixture including potatoes. Resist this temptation as they will be cooked again and will be too mushy and ruin your dish. It is the best when just out of the oven. However will also do for a few more days, when kept covered in the fridge.
Millefeuille Pastry / Talaş Böreği is a whole meal so you can serve it not only as a side dish but also as the meal itself. Goes perfectly well with plain yogurt or fruit compote.
Hope you will try and enjoy, do not forget to post comments and pictures of how you did.
Millefeuille Pastry
Ingredients
- 4 sheets Millefeuille Pastry
- 200 grams meat chunks
- 1 carrot cubed
- 100 grams peas
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch thyme
- 2 bay leaves optional
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
- 1-2 tablespoon plain flour
Instructions
- Take out the millefeuille pastry out of the freezer and set aside to soften. Cut/break in the middle to get squares if rectangular shaped. Set aside to soften, but do not place them one on top of the other if you have removed the paper in between them.
- Place the cubed meat into the cooking pot, preferably lamb. If not lamb, in preference order these can also be used: beef, turkey, chicken. Cook without adding anything else until the meat first leaves off and then absorbs back its juice. The lid should be closed, you may mix once in a while.
- Add two bay leaves if using lamb, take out the leaves and discard after meat is ready.
- When the meat is ready add these in sequence, leaving 2 minutes in between. Chopped onions, chopped garlic, first peeled then cubed carrots and peas. Mix well. Add warm water to cover the bottom of the cooking pot. Do not use canned peas as they are too soft. Frozen peas will be fine.
- Cook with covered lid, over medium heat, until the water evaporates. It the water is too much, drain. Set aside to cool.
- Sprinkle your working space and the top of each millefeuille pastry with some flour. Make the pastry widen about 25 cm/10 inch every side, using a rolling pin. Place 2 tablespoons of filling mixture in the middle and close the pastry like an envelope. Turn upside down and place on a oven tray with an oven sheet.
- Spread some egg yolk on the top using an egg brush. Sprinkle some nigella seeds on top.
- Cook in a preheated oven at 175° Celsius/ 350° Fahrenhite for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on all sides.